Pete Carroll explains his thinking on last-play FG when trailing by 10
Raiders coach Pete Carroll made an odd decision to kick a field goal when trailing by 10 points with five seconds remaining in Sunday's game against the Broncos. Daniel Carlson made a 46-yard kick as time expired, making the final score 24-17.
Making the decision even more curious, the Broncos were 7.5-point favorites, and the over/under was 40.5.
Carroll was hoping for enough time to kick the field goal and attempt an onside kick, but even then, barring a penalty, time would have expired before the Raiders went back on offense. So, frankly, his explanation made as much sense as his decision to kick the field goal.
"I knew it was going to look stupid, like you couldn't figure out why we were doing it," Carroll said Monday, via Ryan McFadden of ESPN. "But there was a clear thought of what we were trying to get down there, just to take it down to the very last click. That might not be good enough for you, I understand that, but I think you can see what we were trying to do, but it just didn't work out."
Carroll said he does not — and cannot — concern himself with public opinion.
"I can't bend and twist and go with whatever the public sentiment is, or one person's sentiment for that matter, regardless of who it is," Carroll said. "I just can't do that and do my job the right way to the best of my ability."






